Towed body



C. D. BURNEY.

TOWED BODY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22.1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Inventor.

C. D. BURNEY.

TOWED BODY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22.1919.

1,358,360. Patent ed Nov. 9, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I III/afar.

C. D. BURNEY.

TOWED BODY. APPLICATION FlLiD JULY 22,1919.

m. E m m P enemas nnnms'ron BURNEY, or Amansroan, astman.

TOWED 'BOIDY.

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Original application filed September 18, 1917, Serial No. 192,019.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. i e rs 5. a

r i as 22, 1919. Serial No. 312,592.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES DENNISTON BURNEY, a subject; of the King ofGreat Brita'm, residing at Dean Holme, Kilmeston, Alresford, in thecounty of Hants, Eng land, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to Towed Bodies, of which the following is aspecification.

0 This invention relates to towed-bodies more especially intended as adefense against submarine mines and also available for purposes ofattack, such bodies being now known under the term paravanes,

5 the chief object of the invention being to provide a simpleconstruction of such bodies adapted when-towed to descend toapredetermined depth. 7 1 V According to this invention the towed 0 bodycomprises a transverse depressor plane or plate, which may be fiat orcambered,

to which plate is attached by a suitable frame a rearwardly extendingfloat, preferably of stream line form, whi h float may carry anexplosive charge. The depresser plane or plate, which is'set at an angleto the paravane axis, is preferably provided with a rudder at each endunder the control of a gravityand hydrostaticdevice 9 which varies theangle "of the. rudders in order to maintain'substantially the same depthor to take out any tilt. For this purpose a channel filled with mercuryextending along the 7 plate and communicating withdiaphragm chambers maybe provided, the diaphragms differentially operating the rudders throughlevers. A second member subject to the pressure of the water alsocontrols the lever connection so that the 0 rudders are under the jointcontrol of the water pressure and of the mercury device.

In order that the said invention may be more clearly understood andreadily carried into effect the same will now. be described 5 more fullywith reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a planof a paravane embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same appara- 0 tus. and

' Fig. 3 is a part elevation and part section of the depresser plane andthe controlling rudders.

1 is the depresser plane. 2 is the buoyant 5 body or float, which maycarry an explosive charge and is provided with horizontal and H aroundthe float, by the-tie rods 7. A mem her 8 projects from thecenter oftheplate 1n an upward direction and is connected to the bandfiby the tierod .9 and to the depresser plate 1 by the stays 10. The member 8carriesat its upper end a towing eye 11 to which the towing cable isattached, so that the paravane is towed from a point situated vsomedistance above the depresser plane 1, whichas shown in Fig. 2 is set atan angle to the axis of the float so that when towed from the eye 11 theplate or plane 1 causes the paravane to tow down: ward. 7

This construction of paravane is espe. cially intended to betowed fromthe stern of .a ship and keepsdirectly asternand low down so that anymines which may be' missed by mine sweeping paravanes Which aredeflected outwardly from the stem of the ship,vas described in thespecifications of my co-pendingapplications Nos. 192018 and 192019, maybe caught bythe dep-resser paravane which may, as in the other forms ofparavane, be associated with cutting mechanism for the mine cable.

At each side or end of the depressor plane 1 is fitted a small rudder 12pivoted at 13 to the brackets 14 secured on the plane and provided witha lever arm 15 connected to a control. rod 16 which is attached to thediaphragm 17 of a mercury control valve. The diaphragm 17 is secured atits edges as shown in'Fig. 3 and closes the upper side of the mercurychamber 18, the two chambers 18 being connected by the mercury channel19 extending along the depressor plate. Should the paravane be tiltedthe mercury exercises a pressure against the diaphragm 17 which is atthe lower side and the corresponding rudder 12 is so ar-' ranged asimmediately to set itself to give a re-action which brings the paravanelevel,

the reduction of pressure at the opposite i this is subject to thehydrostatic pressure-of the water which thereforeis adaptedindependently of the mercury device to cause simultaneous operation ofthe two rudders 12. The control device is set to a predetermined depthand the rudders automatically correct for any variation from that depthso as to maintain theparavane, Within com-- paratively small limits ofoscillation, at the set depth for any given speed of tow. The rudders 12may also if desired be given an initial setting in which they aresecured.

F or purposes of attack, especially against submarines, the buoyant bodyor float 2 may, as already described, be provided with an explosivecharge" adapted to be fired electrically or otherwise as described inconnection with theparavane of my two copending applications Nos. 192018and 192019 already referred to;

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. A towed body or paravane comprising a depresser plate extendingtransversely of the paravane and provided with adjustable rudders and abuoyant body or float con nected tothe said plate at its rear.

2. A towed body or paravane comprising a buoyant body, a transversedepresser plate situated in front of the said body, a frame! workconnecting the depresser plate and buoyant body so that the plate isheld at an angle to theaxis of the paravane, a towing connectionsituatedv above the depresser plate and an adjustable rudder provided ateach end of the. said plate.

3. A towed body or paravane comprising a buoyant body, a depresserplate'connected V to the said buoyant body and extending transverselyand a rudder at each end of the said plate provided with gravitycontrolled mechanism by which the rudders operate to take out any tiltof the paravane during the tow.

4. A towed body or paravane comprising a buoyant body, a depresser plateconnected to the said buoyant body and extending.

transversely and a rudder at each-end of the i said plate provided witha hydrostatic device adapted to operate the rudder on any variation froma predetermined depth of immersion.

5. A towed body or paravane comprising; I

6. A towed body or paravane comprisitlg a buoyant body, a depresserplate connec to the said buoyantbody and extendin transversely and arudder at each end of the said plate provided with control diaphramechanism supplied with mercury, the (ha phragm mechanisms for the tworudders being connected by'a mercury channel which permits the mercuryto act by gravity so as to operate the rudders differentially, ontilting of the paravane, inorder to take out the tilt.

7 A towed body or paravane comprising v a depressor plate extendingtransversely of the paravane and provided with adjustable rudders and abuoyant body or float con- 7 nected to the said plate 'at, its rear, andcarrying an explosive charge. 7 CHARLES DENNlS TON BURKE?

